Purpose: To recognize the most distinguished student paper delivered on the topic of African and African diasporan music presented at the SEM annual meeting.

Eligibility: Any student who presents, in person, a formal paper on the topic of African and African diasporic music at the SEM annual meeting. A student shall be defined as a person pursuing an active course of studies in a degree program. This will include persons who are engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation but not those who are teaching full time while doing so. Please note: The AfMS prize competition is separate from other prize competitions. Papers submitted for other prizes (such as the Seeger Prize) are also eligible for the AfMS prize.

Prize: A cash prize awarded to the student in an amount decided annually by the AfMS chairs; the amount will not exceed $50. A cash prize of $150 will be sent to a library in Africa, to be chosen by the winning student.

Regularity: Annually. The prize may be withheld by the decision of the committee.

Administration: The selection committee shall be made up of three members of the AfMS, with members chosen for the next year's competition by the section at its annual business meeting.

Application Process: The prize candidate must deposit three copies of his/her paper to the prize committee chairs at the AfMS business meeting at the annual SEM conference. The time and location of the AMS meeting will be listed in the conference program. The paper deposited is to be the version that is read at the conference and may not exceed twelve double spaced pages (roughly 3,900 words). Candidates are encouraged to submit three copies of taped audio or visual examples that will be used in the presentation (CDs or tape cassette for audio examples; North American standard VHS or DVD format for video) with a brief explanation of how the examples are used in the presentation. Entries will be judged solely on the content of the papers, including the use of video and audio examples submitted. The 2006 selection committee will decide upon a winner by the 1st of February following the paper presentation.

Application Deadline: Saturday of the SEM annual meeting (or day on which the SEM business meeting is held).

Recipients

2011

Stuffelbeam, Katie. "Performing Advocacy: Women’s Music and Dance in Dagbon, Northern Ghana.”

2010

Lawrence, Sidra. "Sounds of Development?  Race, Authenticity, and Tradition among Dagara Female Musicians in Northwestern Ghana."          

2009

Warden, Nolan. "Crossing Diaspora's Borders: Musical Roots Experiences and the Euro-American Presence in Afro-Cuban Religious Music."              

2008

McCoy, Jason. "Making Violence Ordinary: RTLM Radio and the Rwandan Genocide."    

2007

Vokwana, Thembela. "Can We Sing Together?: Performing Nationhood Through Choral Festivals in South Africa."